Wa, July 9, GNA - The government would establish District Youth Training and Placement boards to oversee planning and implementation of placement and training programmes for the youth in all districts of the country.

Additionally, it would expand facilities in vocational institutions to accommodate the increasing number of junior high school graduates who fail to gain admission to senior high schools or technical institutions. Mr. Mahmud Khalid, the Upper West Regional Minister, said this at the first bi-annual regional youth dialogue and forum between the Federation of Youth Associations of Ghana, the Regional Coordinating Council and other stakeholders organized by the National Youth Council at Wa on Thursday.

The participants discussed investment in agriculture and rural development, investment in capabilities to address environmental issues, desertification and climate change, water and sanitation, conflict prevention, peace building and security.

Mr. Khalid said the government was committed to mobilizing the youth to productively engage their talents and create the right environment for them to realize their full potential. He urged the youth to reflect over the numerous intervention programmes governments had implemented over the years and bring out their successes, failures and challenges and see how best they could use them to reshape and influence current youth programmes. The Regional Minister mentioned the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority, which is yet to be launched, saying that it is a programme that has the youth as its focus.

Mr. Mumuni Sulemana, the Upper West Regional Youth Coordinator, said the government's goal of building a better Ghana could not be achieved if rural development was continuously relegated to the background in the regional socio-economic development plans.